The Flying Yogi

Flying yesterday was quiet a yoga challenge. I don't normally get up at 430 for any reason but I had to in order to catch my 830 flight.  I've been looking forward to this trip for quite a while now. Almost to the airport I receive the message my flight has been delayed. Arriving I find a long queue waiting to resolve their tickets. So I find the Starbucks nearby and grab some oatmeal and coffee knowing all have a long wait.
I joined the que, open up my oatmeal seed to practice some deep breathing while I eat and wait. The first thing I notice are what I call the recruiters. They are the people that feel they need to tell others about how much trouble they're being put through. They are recruiting others to commiserate with them and form a group. I know that this is the beginning of mob mentality. The only thing that a mob can lead to is trouble. I now need to practice 'allowing'. I allow other things, people, places and events to exist simultaneously while I remain relaxed. 
As I approach the line I notice how hard the airline employees are working and how each new person needs to explain what an inconvenience a three hour delay is for them. I decide to practice 'granting beingness'. This technique acknowledges that I am interacting with a human being not a worker bee. So I think the airline worker for all the hard work they are doing and how quickly the line has progressed. She pauses for a moment and looks at me and thanks me. This isn't in order to get the results I want but to have a human connection. After she reroute me through to Florida I make a joke about how it's better to get there later because it will be cooler we both laugh and share a moment.
I decided to treat myself to a chair massage since I know it's going to wind up being a very long day. After hunting through the entire airport for something not fast food to eat I make it to the terminal to board the plane. I can feel the tension of everyone on the plane as I find my seat. The guy sitting next to me sit down and I  imediately realize he is going to take over the arm rest next to me. He proceeds to speak through the seat to the gentleman in front of him about business during the entire boarding process. After an hour of contorting my body to accommodate him I try to find a way to claim my space so I can sit up straight. But he is doing the guy thing where he refuses to budge so I'm left with feeling as if I'm in some sort of battle over the inability to keep my body straight. I try tension and relaxation exercise and Ananda muscle stimulation exercise in my seat. But I can feel the lack of food and tiredness pervade my body and mind. I know I will have to work hard at letting go on this trip.
We finally land and I have 30 minutes to find something decent to eat which is nearly impossible in Dallas Airport. I settle on what I know will be a horrible salad and a quick glass of white wine. The guy who had been sitting next to me on the first flight comes in and gives me a judging look because I had said I had a quick connection and needed off the plane. I try practicing 3 part breathing.
By the time I board my second plane to Orlando I am glad I had the glass of wine. Sitting next to me is a small energetic girl and behind me and even smaller and more energetic boy and his older sister. The boy imediately begins kicking my seat while screaming at his sister and mother. I find my headphones and put on relaxing music to try and stay calm. By now the tiredness is really getting to my mind. The girl next to me gets out her laptop and I am not sure if I am more surprised that she has a laptop at 9 years old or that she knows to ask when the wifi is available. Once she decides I am not the ogre that I feel like I am she then proceeds to try and get my attention by squirming around to get in my peripheral vision and stare at me. I pray that they serve wine on this flight. I smile back at her with a crooked smile and look out of the corner of my eye at her to acknowledge I know she is there I am friendly but do not feel like playing.  In my mind I see a vision of  my guru and picture him making best friend with this little girl and getting her to laugh and play since her mother is ignoring her. But I dismiss the image knowing I don't have the energy. Somehow I manage to fall asleep. I wake up just in time for wine service and the boys behind me deciding that if he's really loud he will get whatever it is he wants. There is only Chardonnay my least favorite wine so I pass on to red wine and the steward tells me they only have merlot which I like even less then Chardonnay. So I roll my eyes at him put my headphones back on and try to read my book on meditation. A little while later I see a small bottle of Pinot Noir being handed to me with a glass and a knowing look from the kindly steward. I think God for the small gift.
Finally we arrive late to Orlando where my friend been waiting on me for a while. I allow a few trams stuffed full of people to go ahead of me. After the crowd thins I make my way to my friend. Her loving arms and sweet smile seem to take away the hours and miles. I know that although I feel beat up I saved myself a lot of mental anguish by being a flying yogi. I am so looking forward to this sabbatical of meditation and yoga. Hopefully it will help me on the flight home. I am thankful that I have learned to practice yoga off the mat.